Buoyant chamber scuttling device



May l2, 1953 R. l.. FREAs 2,637,862

BuoYANT CHAMBER scuTTLING DEVICE Original Filed June 18. 1948 #Y @5% 22 /M In?.

Patented ay l2, i953 ,satz

e'rENT oFioM-f BUOYAN T CHAMBER SCUTTLING DEVICE Raymond L. Freas, Conshohocken, Pa.

Original application June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,835, now Patent No. 2,593,432, dated April 22, 1952. Divided and this application February 21, 1951, Serial No. 212,182

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This is a division of my pending application Serial No. 33,835, led June 18, 1948, directed to Automatically Operated Signalling Apparatus, patented April 16, 1952, Number 2,593,432.

The present invention is directed to the art of scuttling buoyant vessels, and it comprises a device which causes a floating vessel to sink.

'I'he invention is embodied in the Automatically Operated Signalling Apparatus of the abovereferred to parent application, which is particularly adapted to be deposited on the surface of a body of water by an aviatol` to send signals which enable the aviator to check his course Aand determine his location. The signals of the apparatus are useful only until the aviator has checked his course and determined his location.

When the signals from the apparatus have served their purpose, the apparatus can be reclaimed in any suitable manner. However, this is usually not worth the time and danger that may be involved under circumstances expected to prevail when the apparatus is used. Accordingly, it is preferred to consider the signalling apparatus expendable. It is desired that the apparatus discontinue sending signals after it has served its useful purpose, and also that the apparatus destroy itself so that it is no longer a potential source of useful information to an enemy or other unauthorized person.

To accomplish the purposes outlined above, the apparatus of the parent application is equipped with a scuttling device, bymeans of which it becomes waterlogged after a predetermined time in use, and by means of which it sinks to the bottom of the body of water where it is positioned for use. The present application is directed divisionally to the self-scuttling device of the parent application.

For understanding the principles of the present invention, and for a disclosure of one practical embodiment thereof, attention is directed to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 illustrates apparatus embodying the invention in elevation, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1, illustrating the device of the present application in detail The apparatus of Fig. 1 is adapted to send radio-frequency signals, and for the purpose is positioned to float on a body of water Where it operates automatically in a manner fully described in the above referred to parent application. 'Ihe apparatus comprises a buoyancychamber I5 at one end, a ballast mass IE at the other end, and a rigid connection Il between the buoyancy chamber and the ballast mass.' The ballast mass II submerges because of its weight, and is therefore suspended downwardly from the buoyancy chamber I5 as shown.

As described more fully in the parent application, the rigid connection I'I contains the antenna I 8 of the transmitter in collapsed condition until it is put into use, and therefore the connection I'I is a length of tubing as seen in Fig. 2. The antenna is erected automatically by the transmitter being deposited on a body of water for use, and then projects upwardly out of the end of the tube I'I, as seen in Fig. 1.

The bouyancy chamber I5 is a container which is preferably of metal and comprises the lid 2li;` which is screw-'threaded onto the container I5 and is additionally secured thereto by-soldering or the like means to seal the lid onto the container watertight.

The lid 20 comprises the centrally located bushing 2 I which is threaded to receive the gland nut 22 providing a cavity for any suitable packing 23. The bushing 2I, gland nut 22 and packing 23 provide a watertight attachment of the bouyan-cy chamber I5 at its one end to the tube I'I.

The sleeve 25 is screw-threaded onto the end of tube I'I, the lock nut 26 being provided to se` cure the attachment. The tube Il, with the sleeve 25 attached at its end, extends lengthwise through buoyancy chamber I5 from the lid-20 and its bushing 2| towards the opposite end where sleeve 25 projects through the end wall of container I5 to the exterior thereof. The internal and external clamping discs 21 and 28 are threaded onto the sleeve 25 respectively inside and outside the buoyancy chamber I5, and are driven towards each other along the sleeve to press opposed to each other against opposite faces of the chamber Wall, the gaskets 29 being included in the connection to make it watertight.

The cap 30 encloses the antenna I 8 in the tube I'I when the transmitter is not in use, and releases the antenna for its erectionl and use when the transmitter enters the water for use. This is more fully described in the parent application, and is unimportant for understanding the invention to which the present application is directed.

lE1ectrical-leads 33 connect the power pack,

paratus iioats on the water in operating position illlustrated in Fig. l. The nipple 55 is therefore submerged, and it provides a passage for water to enter the buoyancy .Q hgamber I5 from the time thev transmitter starts sendingfsignals.

The cup 64 is secured and sealed to the in- .,board surface of the lid by soldering or the rubber or the like material that makes the leadv entrance watertight. I The plug 35, also of rubber or the like material, closes an opening watertightfthrough which" a tool may be inserted into the buoyancyycham.

" like means to comprise a container, and it enclo'ses the nipple 55 and the inboard end of its passage 51. Al second cup 65 is similarly se- "cured and sealed to the rst cup 54 at its end rto comprise a second container in series which is ber to adjust the transmitter component in a ,I manner more fully described 'in the parent apf plication.

The buoyancy chamber I5, is thus a fluid tight container excepting for the scuttling device illustrated generally at 40, and theyent illustrated generally at 4I, which constitute the important.

elements of the inventionto which the present applicationisdirected4 y -Thevent 4I operates to Amaintain the buoyancy chamber atatmospheric pressure land lcomprises afnipplc '42 -which is'attached to buoyancy chainiber -.-I 5; at its upper end by means of the-gasket or .-g'rommet 43 4.of rubber orlthe like4 material. 'Ihe lengthwise bore 44 of the nipple ,42 extends from. the end -of the .nipple inboard of-thebuoy ancy chamber `I 5towa rds the outboard end where it communicates with. the outside atmosphere through the lateral boreor duct 45.

:The cap 46 `is secured tothe outboard endv of the nipple I41 and comprises the annular 4shield or apron 41-which Iextends downwardly to cover the port of lateral bore 4 5 and is spaced away therefrom tto' `form an A annular :channel 48 through-which iiuid lmay .flow -into and out of the passageotbores y44 and 45..l -The structure permitsv-.freeair .now intoor fout of the buoyancy lchamber 45.,- The Vapron 41- formsa. trap that avoids excessive water flow -into thebuoyancy 4chamber I5 through the passage of *bornes 44,,-,and 45,.and.prevents solids that are floating in the water from closing .the port of the lateral bore 45. The cup 50.is pressed into .positionover the-.inboard end of the gasket 43.- The base'of cup; 50 is crowned as shown-,and the hole 54 at 'the apex l.of the crown permits the passage of air. The crown forms an annular trough 5-2-in which water `entering bores 45 and 44 accumulates and is contained to preventlthe waterjvfrom Aentering the space Within buoyancy chamber I5- thatA .houses the transmitting cornponentjof the signalling appa atus which it might ,clanrfvzga` The scuttling device-4i) comprises a nipple 55 which is secured to .the buoyancychamber by means of the .gasket orgrommet v5t of. rubber or the .like material.. .A lengthwise bore 51 .extends from the end of the nipple 55 inboard of 4the vbuoyancy chamber. I5 towards the dutboard' end -where it communicates with the lat.- eral :bore '58. The cap 59 is secured to the .nippleat" its outboard end, tand comprises the annular apron which extends through .the wall thickness of buoyancy chamber I5, and around the nipple vto cover the port .of thel lateral bore 158', being spaced away from the port tofo'rzn van 'annular channel v6I through which water ows `'into lthe passage of bores 58 'and 51. The apron 50f-fo'rms"a trapl that prevents vsolids from entering th'ep'as'sage' of bores 58 and 51 'and clog- ,ggfm

lF1The"nipple4 55 is through "the lid 20, and thus is positioned along the bottom sur-race ofA the .buoyancy :chamber-215 Nwhen the" signallingap- Cil -more remote from the lid 20, and in the disfclosed. embodiment a third cup 66 is secured and lseal'edto the-I second cup 65 in a similar manner to comprise a third container in series which is more'remote from lid 20 than container 65.

-The cups l54, 55 and 66 preferably are alike, and

they constitute a series of individual containers which is attached to the buoyancy chamber in a -manner tor flow. ofm'fluid ,through the.l containers in series .by the end container .64.of .thc series being secured and sealedvto the' lid 20,218 described. nl'.

The uppermost surface 61 .of .eachconta 'er 64, 65 and tapis depressed downwardly to 'orm a basin, and-is provided with a hole 68 through which Water tends to drain downwardly .ihto'th'e next lower container. I

From the time that the transmitter becomes positioned on the surface of the Water for use as illlustrated in Fig. 1, Water enters th'e buoyancy chamber I5 through the passage of bones51 .and 58 of nipple 55, the passage being constricted for the water totrickle in, the rate of flow befing thereby'controlled fora predetermined time interval.- The water .enters the containerjor clfiamberlof vtheirst cup .64 Where the'wate'r is-confined until cup 64 4becomes full.' Then the' water iiows through- .the -hole 68 .of .cup 54 into the second cupluntil it becomes flull, .a'ter which the water enters fthe thi-rd lcup 66 until it becomes full. 'After all the cups v64,155 andff are full, the water enters the space .inside the buoyancy chamber .I5 through the hole-.53l of cup G55;- While Water enters buoyancy chamber I5 through thenipple 55, air isy displaced and driven out of the buoyancy chamber through vvent 4I. Theremay bemore or less than three ycups 6.4. A65' and 66 shown. the number of cups yand their sizes being determined by the desired time delay, a-nd particularly by the length .of time that itis desired for. Asignals to be transmitted be,- fore water enters the'housing of the-buoyancy chamber I5 and renders the transmittingcomponent vcontained therein inoperative.l Thusl the process of scuttli-ng'begins fronti-'the timeA that the signalling apparatus begins to op.. crate. However, water does not enterl the space Within the buoyancy chamber I5 that houses the transmitting component until eachv of the several cups 64, 65 and 66 have become lled'in succes.; sion. Soon after water gets into the housingfo buoyancy chamber I5 it contacts the transmitting component containedV therein and signals stops. Meantime, the transmitter continues vto sink until it becomes waterlogged .and fit Athen sinks below the surface of the water and tot/he bottom. The-apparatus is thus self-destroying.

'The disclosure presents one practical embodiment of the invention, which is .not limited-to the Lspecific structure shown. The scope .of the invention is determined 'by'the accompanying clams.-

I claim:

l. In an enclosed buoyancy chamber, a scuttling device comprising a plurality of fluid containers secured and sealed to each other in series, the series of containers being attached to the buoyancy chamber below the water line by an end container of the series being secured and sealed to the chamber, a passage for uid from the exterior to the interior of the buoyancy chamber comprising a time-delay restricted fluid-passage through the wall of the buoyancy chamber and communicating with the end container of the series that is secured to the buoyancy chamber, the passage also comprising a time-delay restricted fluid-passage through the container at the opposite end of the series and communicating with the exterior of the series of containers, the passage also comprising a timedelay restricted uid-passage between each of two next-adjacent containers between the opposite end containers of the series, and an air vent in the buoyancy chamber above the Water line.

2. In a buoyancy chamber `as defined in claim 1, the series of containers being attached to the buoyancy chamber on the inside of the chamber, a nipple embodying the uid-passage through the wall of' the buoyancy chamber and comprising a bore through the wall thickness, a second bore communicating with and extending laterally from the first bore exteriorly of the chamber, and an annular channel exteriorly of the nipple and communicating with the second bore outside the buoyancy chamber.

RAYMOND L. FREAS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 650,288 Wilson May 22, 1900 1,115,028 Searl Oct. 27, 1914 2,099,878 Winckler Nov. 23, 1937 2,528,837 Linhardt, Jr. Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 197,566 Germany Nov. 8, 1906 414,752 Germany Mar. 9, 1924 

